Some Random GF Baking Notes

1. I'm not sure what ingredient does it; although, I think it's the xanthan gum, but if you ever lick beaters after making a lot of gluten free bread recipes, you will find the dough tastes very metallicy. Something seems to enhance the metal of the beaters. However, you can't taste it at all when the dough is cooked. Why? I don't know! But it had me really worried the first few times I started baking some of these GF recipes!

2. Also, be aware that home-made bread tends to go bad a lot more quickly than store-bought bread. But if you really want to make it go bad super quickly, put it in the fridge! You need to store it in an air-tight container on the counter if you're not freezing the bread.

If you consider what must go in store-bought bread to make it keep that long on the counter or in the fridge and taste exactly the same as when you bought it - BLEAGH!

Basic Featherlight Rice Bread (Gluten Free Bread)

I LOVE this bread! Closest thing to actual wheat bread I've had yet! And it doesn't crumble.

The amounts I'm giving here are enough to make three medium sized loafs or two large loafs of breads. Make sure you have a big bread pans though if you're only making the two loafs.

Dry Ingredients:
Featherlight Rice Flour Mix - 4 cups
Xanthan gum - 3 tsp
unflavored gelatin - 2 tsp
egg replacer - 2 tsp
salt - 1 tsp
sugar - 1/4 cup (I replaced the sugar with honey and it came out great - just make sure you don't put the honey in with the dry ingredients!)
dry milk powder or nondairy substitute - 1/2 cup
dry yeast granules - 2 1/4 tsp

Wet Ingredients:
Eggs - 3
Margarine or butter - 1/3 cup
Dough Enhancer or vinegar - 1 tsp
honey or molasses - 4 tsp
water (more or less) - 2 cups

Grease your chosen pans and dust with rice flour.

The water temperature will be different for hand mixing and for bread machines. For hand mixing have it at about 110F, for bread machine, read the directions in your manual.

For both hand mixing and machine mixing, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

In another bowl (or the bowl of your mixer), whisk all the wet ingredients (except the water) until blended. Add most of the water to the egg mixture. The remaining water will be added as need after the bread has started mixing (either in your mixer or in the pan of the bread machine).

Bread Machine: place the ingredients in the machine pan in the order suggested in the manual. Use the setting for medium crust.

Hand Mixing: With the mixer turned to low, add the dry ingredients (including the yeast) a little at a time. Check to be sure the dough is the right consistency (should be like cake batter). Add more of the water as necessary. Turn the mixer to high and beat for 3.5 minutes.

Spoon into the prepared pans, cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 35 minutes for rapid-rising yeast, 60 or more for regular yeast or until the dough reaches the top of the pan.

Bake in a preheated oven at 400F for 50 to 60 minutes, covering after 10 minutes with aluminium foil.

I'm still testing how well this bread freezes. Will try to remember to update this when I find out!

Featherlight Rice Flour Mix (Gluten Free flour mix)

This particular flour mix and the bread recipe, Basic Featherlight Rice Bread, is easily the best gluten free bread I've found yet for making a bread that is the closest I've had to having a wheat bread texture. It's great with sandwiches, toast, etc.

The amounts below will give you 12 cups of flour which can then be used in various recipes.

Rice Flour - 4 cups
Tapioca Flour - 4 cups
Cornstarch - 4 cups
Potato Flour (not potato starch) - 4 tbsp

Dump it all in a zip-lock baggie, squish it all up to mix. Make sure you mark the bag with what kind of flour it is. And viola, flour for bread recipes!

*Note: The previous recipe I posted for Bette's Four Flour Bread Mix is higher in protein than this particular mix. Something to keep in mind for the nutritious conscious.